That's a fair point. But governments also need to provide things for the wellness of society, too, like the arts and such, and I would say public attractions could be included under that as well.
I looked up the Tasmanian budget, and it looks like their budgeted expenditures for 2023/24 is $8.72 billion. $12 million is just a drop in the bucket compared to that... about 0.14%. And if it does lead to increased tourism, it could potentially increase sales tax revenue, which then gets funnelled back to the states, as I understand it. The Labour leader seemed on board with it too, her only concern being that the government act transparently when giving out taxpayer money.
If I'm being honest, I hadn't heard of Rockliff before this article. Maybe he's a terrible premier. But this idea just seemed... fun. I can't remember the last time I heard a government propose something fun. In my province, our premier is committing $600 million to help a private company build a private spa for the rich on public waterfront land. In Tasmania, they're proposing $12 million for a giant public chocolate fountain. I know which one I'd rather have.
Anyway, I don't live in Tasmania, so I should probably bow out now. Sorry for butting in. But it was fun to chat for a bit about politics outside North America, that wasn't in context of a war.
